WIN a Pair of tickets to see Bill Callahan in SEATTLE [June 22nd]!!!

CONTEST HAS ENDED!

The winning entry was sent in my “WF” and was comment number 11. Although it may seem that his entry didn’t provide the exact details that were relayed to him, in regards to how certain events might set about the apolcalypse, the sheer fact that the person that relayed these concepts to him even exists is enough to infer that there is a hair triggered paranoia on the loose which may, in turn, prove to create some self-fulfilling prophecies for our imminent demise. Plus, the character in his entry reminds us all of our pal GRANT and, if I wasn’t already entirely sure that he was on the other side of the planet right now and that the gun mentioned wasn’t a certain 357 Magnum, then I’d half assume that it was him. We miss you pal and… congratulations WF. Our thanks to everyone that entered.

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Recording under the moniker of “(SMOG)“, throughout the entirety of the 1990‘s and much of the Two–Thousand-Oughts, Bill Callahan eventually began releasing albums under his own name, beginning with 2007′s Woke on a Whaleheart (Drag City). While his earliest works were much more disjointed and “experimental” lo-fi home recordings, his music has continued to develop over the years into something quite different. As his work approached the end of the millennium, he continued to utilize the studios and equipment that he now had available to him with a progressively more polished sound. After that, his songs seemed to retreat back into a more personal, yet refined, delivery, supported by his somber baritone and delicate but inviting guitar strums. Still, Callahan isn’t the type of artist that I feel that I could accurately describe as dramatically shifting gears or even taking on overly-challenging new directions from one release to the next. The songwriter isn’t the sort to concern himself with trying to dip his toes into every genre possible, in a calculated attempt to evoke implications of versatility or because it might come across as risky. He isn’t Beck or Dangermouse… or even Rick Rubin. He’s Bill Callahan. Like the musical equivalent of a Philip Seymour Hoffman, there’s no checklist to cross off for his career milestones such as, “play a homosexual character (taking the job from a homosexual actor), then someone that is mentally disabled, drastic weight shift, next try comedy, do an indie film, aim for a block buster, make a techno album, get Rhianna on this track…etc.” There’s no need for Callahan to try and make overt statements about trying new and risky approaches, because everything that he delivers emits a sense of inherent risk, already instilled within it’s core. He presents both fragility and strength. Every direction that he takes with his music feels like an organic one and, while he continues to grow with his craft, his experimentation comes from the inside out, not vice-versa. While fucking with tape-decks and exploring alternate recording methods can be interesting and have their place, Callahan somehow presents work that exhibits an exploration of himself and a presentation of what he’s discovered, simultaneously. He experiments without the effort; taking a gentle peek inside and casually holding the door cracked open to share the view.

Bill Callahan is an anomaly in the music world. After 2 decades of work, he is not only still creating consistent work, but he’s also getting consistently better and more in touch with his own abilities. He’s a prime example of why Drag City Records is such an amazing label and he easily draws similarities to fellow label mates as David Berman (Silver Jews), with his deep voice and remarkable lyrical talents, as well as Will Oldham (aka: Bonnie “Prince” Billy) with his consistent growth and prolific output. His humor is displayed in tracks like “Dress Sexy At My Funeral“, off of his hilariously titled SMOG release, Dongs Of Sevotion (Drag City – 2000), while a song like “Rock Bottom Riser” from A River Ain’t Too Much To Love (2005), is powerful enough to evoke tears. He’s a musician’s musician and the type of craftsman that makes legends wish that they could have written his songs. In fact, the title track from the late/great Gil Scott-Heron‘s 2010 highly-acclaimed swan song, I’m New Here, is actually a cover of a Callahan song, also from A River Ain’t Too Much To Love. With his latest effort, Apocalypse, released in April, Callahan has once again outdone himself by creating what is among the very finest albums to come out this year. Fortunately for us, he’s decided to embark on a nationwide tour to support it. Fortunately for you, our friends at NEUMOS Crystal Ball Reading Room are providing us with a pair of tickets to his Seattle stop on June 21st, 2011, that we’ll be giving away to one lucky winner.

Watch his latest video for the track “Riding for the Feeling” off of Apocalypse, now.Scroll down to see how to enter to win tickets!

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THE CONTEST / GIVEAWAY:

*One winner will receive a a pair of tickets to see Bill Callahan perform live @ Neumos in Seattle on Wednesday June 22, 2011

HOW TO ENTER:

This contest will revolve around the title of Callahan‘s latest album, Apocalypse

#1)

We’ve all heard it said time and time again… every time that something that is beyond reprehensible, was formerly unimaginable, or is just outright ridiculous goes down, somebody jokingly makes the claim that it must be a sign of the apocalypse. Your goal is to give us an example of something that you think must be a sign of the apocalypse. It can be something as simple as the invention of bacon soap and the excessive overuse of auto-tune, a story about how you ran into 2Pac buying a Thirsty-Two Ouncer at a Circle K last week, or something much more elaborate, conspiracy-based, and/or involved. It’s up to you. It’s your entry.

#2)

Post your answer in the comment section below.

#3)

There is no part 3. That’s all there is to the contest. It’s pretty easy… but you should probably read the fine print.

The Fine Print:

All entries must be received by Saturday June 18th at 11:59 pm to be eligible.

You can enter as many times as you want but, use a valid email so that we can contact you.
Winner will be chosen arbitrarily, based on our personal “favorite”, so try to be interesting.
If we are unable to contact the winner in a reasonable amount of time, a new winner will be chosen.

[If you have any intentions to post comments asking us to pick you, or asking when the winner will be announced… how about, just don’t do it? It’s pretty fucking obnoxious and it won’t help your chances.]

Located in Seattle, Dead C is the founder/editor, as well as the principal writer and photographer, of Monster Fresh. Creating the site in 2007, he did so with a specific dream in mind. Unfortunately, being a muscle relaxer-fueled fever dream, it's hard to recall all of the details.
"I remember that my mom was there, but it wasn't actually her in the dream, it was actually 70s heart throb, Jan Michael Vincent. And everything took place here, in this room... but it wasn't actually here... it was different. The colors were washed out and, for some reason, there was a raccoon kicking it with us and it was wearing a holographic monocle."